Spring Cleaning

Last week I wrote about my total lack of interest in cooking, a phase which lasted nearly two weeks. Several things snapped me out of it, including getting over my cold, buying an armload of fresh spring herbs at the farmers' market, and reorganizing my kitchen. My kitchen is normally such a beloved place (the heart of the home!) that I felt kind of bad neglecting it. So, I figured if I wasn't going to spend time cooking, at least I could honor the space in other ways.

I cleaned the fridge (weird things lurk in there when you suddenly stop cooking) and in the process discovered two good limes. Given the lime shortage, I suddenly felt very lucky indeed. I was compelled to use them to make guacamole — a step up from the avocado halves I had lazily been eating the week before.

I tackled drawers and cupboards that I had been meaning to organize "someday" and reacquainted myself with my wonderful collection of kitchen tools and pantry ingredients. I pulled out the mandoline and made a pretty salad of carrots and radishes (more refrigerator survivors). And when I realized I had three new bags of chia seeds, I couldn't not make a batch of chia pudding.

I spruced up my open shelves, which had become totally cluttered, and put some of those farmers' market herbs in glasses of water on the counter. It felt like a breath of fresh air blew through the room. This spaciousness led to inspiration and the desire to actually cook and nourish myself (and my partner), not just eat to get by.

How about you — does an organized kitchen make you want to cook more? Are you doing any spring cleaning?

Emily Han (formerly Emily Ho) is a writer, recipe developer and educator on topics such as food preservation, wild food and herbalism. She is author of Wild Drinks and Cocktails (Fall 2015), co-founder of Food Swap Network and creator of Miss Chiffonade